Napalm Death at The Vic, Derby, 7th of March 2001
Special guest reviewer Slowjump, of HoBo Forum fame.
Back in the day this gig would have been talked about for weeks previously, the tickets would have been sold out, little nugget kids would have been shopping and purchased blacker than black new napalm t-shirts to wear to it. Sadly, something went wrong for Napalm between then and now, even though this was just a warm up type of affair, the tickets were still in abundant supply on the night. Capacity of the gig room, 150. It just makes you want to cry doesn't it. Well perhaps not cry, but at least grit your teeth in metal influenced rage.
So anyway despite the small venue, the rubbish support act ( small blonde girl does herself a mischief ruining vocal chords, which mark my words she will regret in later life ) Napalm are wicked. They look older, move out of the way for stage divers, but they still assault the senses with massive noise, crazy head swinging dancing from Barney, and the smell of ale as Shane the bassist staggers by.
All the old favorites got an airing, including 'Suffer the Children' and personal favorite 'Scum'. The new stuff from album 'Enemy of the Music Business' stood up well beside the classics, and judging by the lyrics the split from previous label Earache was less than amicable. You cant believe anything you read in Kerrang! but it looks like this time they guessed correctly.
More recent material, such as 'Breed to Breathe' and 'Greed Killing' went down well, the band are incredibly tight and take an obvious pride in their work.
If you get a chance to, go and see Napalm Death, they are still as good as they were ten years ago, or your money back. I cant promise you will have the same in crowd entertainment we got at Derby, the shouts of 'Angel of Death' during Napalm's set were enjoyably surreal, as was the heckle of one local wag - " One more! " - two songs in to the support bands disappointing wail.